Dalit women from 150 villages allege harassment, threaten stir

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, March 6

Dalit women from around 150 villages of Sangrur district reached Kheri village today to participate in a mahapanchayat to raise their voice for their long-pending demands and their alleged harassment by upper caste people. They announced to forcibly take over the common land if the government failed to hand over the possession by April 1.

The mahapanchayat was organised by the Zameen Prapati Sangharash Committee (ZPSC) to announce the future course of action.

“Dalit women are facing harassment in almost all villages from upper caste families. Many times, they are compelled to have physical relations over a small quantity of fodder. All these women have come here to express resentment. They will intensify the agitation if the government fails to act on their just demands,” said Parmjit Kaur, district committee member, ZPSC.

The women alleged that the so-called improvement in the condition of Dalits was only on paper, but in reality nothing had changed. “We are living in one-room houses. Our families are growing and we need proper accommodation. The agitation will now spread across the state as women have taken the lead,” said Kulwinder Kaur.

The women demanded that the government must give possession of 33 per cent of common land to Dalits for joint farming, removal of encroachments from “nazul” lands and transfer of its ownership to Dalits, 10-marla plot to every Dalit family with required grant to construct houses and a ban on setting up of industry on common land.